Abraham bassford



UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

ABRAHAM BASSFORD, OF NIMV YORK, N. Y.

CUSHION-RAIL FOR BILLIARD-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,341, dated March 29, 1859.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ABRAHAM BAssronD, of the VAcity, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Cushion- Rail for Billiard-Tables; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, represents a longitudinal vertical section of part of the bed of a billiard table, representing the manner in which my rail is attached to the bed, and joined at the pocket bows. Fig. 2, is a plan or top view of same. Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 4, is a transverse section of one of the pocket bows. Fig. 5, is a plan or top view' of one of the studs which support my rail.

Similar letters of reterencey indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in supporting the rail by means of rhomb-shaped studs which leave room enough in their center for bolts to pass through, while they are beveled down toward both ends, so that an open space is left between the bed and the rail nearly all the way around and that a ball can be reached with a cue just as easy when the same lies close up to the cushion as it is to play on it when it lays farther from the rail, and this invention further consists in lforming t-he pocket bows oi' the same pieces-which form the rail, joining the same in the middle of the bows, and giving them a bevel underneath, so as to throw the balls down when played at the pockets, and yet keeping the pocket bow on a line with the top Vof the rail.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the bed of a billiard table, to which the rail B, is secur-ed by means of bolts c, and the rail is supported by studs C, which are rhomb-shaped so that the same leave room enough for the bolts a, to pass through their center, and atthe same time they are beveled off on both sides to sharp points. By these means sufficient bearing surface is obtained and the studs offer but little obstruction to the player if he has to play on a ball lying close up to the cushion. In order to secure the rail more firmly to the studs C, cavities 0,- are made into the upper part of the same, and right in their centers projections or bosses CZ, are cast or otherwise rigidly attached to the rails, which tit into said cavities and the bolts a, screw up into the bosses d, so that the latter serve the double purpose of giving a better hold to the screws and of keeping the rails in their places. The lower surface of the studs C, where they rest on the bed, is moreover enlarged by a foot e, in order to increase the bearing surface, and as the foot is made but very low, it forms no additional obstruction to the player.

The pocket bows D, are made of one piece with the rails and they are joined by a lap-joint f, and secured together by screws g. The under edge of the pocket bow is beveled ol so as to throw the balls down when the same are played at ythe pockets. By these means the rail is made perfectly firm and secure, and it can easily be taken to pieces by taking out the screws g, and by removing the bolts a; and the pockets are easily attached by giving the leather cover of the pocket-bow such a shape that the saine can be slipped over the bow after the latter has been joined. In order to secure the cushion to these rails a slot 7L, is made in the same and the cushion is placed on the front edge of the rail and secured to the same by means of a strip of cloth and a wedge which is driven into the slot 7L, as indicated byV red outline in Fig. 3, and if the rails be made of cast iron, their lower faces are hollowed out, as represented at z', in Fig. 3, in order to insure a straight casting.

The operation is as follows: If the ball lay close up to the cushion, as represented by red outline in Fig. 3, it is always diicult with ordinary rails to obtain the proper command over the ball, but with my rail this difficulty is entirely or almost entirely removed, forv the ball can be reached with the cue through the space between the rail and the bed, and it can therefore be played at with the same facility, as it it were placed farther from the cushion, and as the studs c, do not reach to the end of the rail, from which the end of the cushion projects still farther, and by the rhomboidal shape given to these studs, the balls may be reached nearly with the same ease when right opposite one of these studs and close up to the Cushion as if they were farther from the rail, or n a place between two of these studs.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s-

l. The arrangement of the cushion rail of a billiard table in such a manner that a space is left between the bed and the rail by securing the same to the bed by means of studs C, and bolts a, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The arrangement of the pocket bows D,whch are made of one piece ywith the rail, and secured together by a lap-joint f, and which are beveled down at their lower edge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ABM. BASSFORD.

Witnesses:

C. W. R. DISORWAY, A. BASSFORD, J r. 

